Chapter 7
The Unexpected Arrivals
"Sir, we have come to know that there is going to be a battle between the Uchiha and Wasabi clan." Kazu informed Daichi.
They were seated around a table in an old room, poorly lit with walls having damp spots, the window sill broken and glass held together by some adhesive. Daichi was sitting in a laid back position with his elbow on the table and hand holding his pipe and the other hand place on the newly laid matters. The matting on the floor was the only thing that shined amongst the dull room; it was changed the everyday they had arrived as the older one was in poor condition. Although they were to be provided with furnished room, at the moment it wasn't possible. When Madara told them about this when they came, he had expected that Daichi would certainly comment on it but he said that he understands; it came off as a surprise to Madara, for he had prepared to listen. It had only been a day since that happened. And Daichi didn't seem to have much problem, as he had comfortably settle himself in the wrecked room, in which he was sitting thinking over what Kazu had told him.
"Is it so?" Daichi responded after much pondering over something, "Well I cannot decide who is more foolish. Why would someone decide to let a clan as weak as the Wasabi be an opponent of the Uchiha! It is utter idiocy to do so!"
"Affirmative sir. We have come to know that the opposite side did not have enough funds. So, they had to settle for what they could afford."
"Well their defeat it final. Yet it is a pity that the Wasabi clan will lose so many of its warriors, although if they surrender it would be a better option." Daichi said and went over to the window and opened it. He gazed outside at the clan for roughly ten minutes.
His room was situated on the second floor; from there the view of the entire clan was visible. The morning sun rays embraced his face while he continued puffing his pipe, draped in some dull blue robes. He thought it would be better to wait for some more time before coming to a conclusion.
"The clan seems to be doing well. Everything seems to be under control." Daichi remarked thinking nobody was in the room.
"Yes, sir. Lord Madara seems to have had managed everything."
Daichi didn't expect this. He turned around and found Kazu still hadn't left. He thought he would have as there was no further thing to discuss. Yet he stood there.
"I thought you left. Why are you still here? What is it?" he questioned.
"Sir will this be our basis for deci-"
"What did you have for breakfast today? Trash?" he interjected. "Talk no nonsense. This can never qualify as our basis. Go from here at once!" he commanded angrily.
Kazu bowed and left. But he had left a bitter taste in the mouth of Daichi by asking such questions. "Those people must be like him." he wondered.
At nearly half-past twelve, Madara reached at Daichi's staying place. He knocks on the door. He had to wait for three to five minutes before the door opened. Through that time he kept thinking if he should knock again or not, but was relieved when he heard the creaking of the floor. Daichi then slid the door that got stuck twice while opening.
Daichi had a pipe in his hand in which he had just placed tobacco and had lit it before coming to open the door, perhaps that is the reason it took him long to open. He looked unimpressed seeing Madara.
"Oh, Lord Madara, is it? Good noon. What brings you here?" he plainly.
"Good afternoon. I have come here to inform you that the rooms you all were supposed to stay are ready for accommodation, so shift in them at your convenience."
"That is a relief I must say. I could not handle this horrid smell. Certainly no way to welcome someone."
"My sincerest apologies to you. Is there anything else I can provide you with? Please ask with hesitation."
"Ah, no. I have spent days in even worse places." he said and chuckled. But then his tone and expressions change and he continued in his dull voice, now serious, "But this certainly is no reason for your lack of preparations."
"I know." Madara responded. "If there is anything else you can tell me. And if I am not present please inform-"
"Are you going somewhere?" He interject, which might have been a little hasty of him.
"Yes, there is this battle with the Wasabi clan; we will be leaving for it tomorrow."
"I see. Well good luck to you, although I think it would be a child's play. Not a major battle."
"Yes, it is not. I do not think it would even last eight hours."
"Don't you have any big battles to fight?" he questioned casually as if a friend would.
"Ah-yes. We do have a battle with Chinoike clan, the one with the-"
"Ketsuryugan. Yes, I am aware of that. Well hope you are prepared for it."
"I think so."
"Well let me convey the news, I am sure they will be relieved. By the way, for how long will you be gone?"
"For nearly four to five days." he said a little awkwardly.
"Oh well nice."
Before Madara could respond, Daichi went inside fast. It looked like he was getting late to reach his work on time. Madara could hear his feet thudding across the floor. He found the behaviour of Daichi quite weird today. He stood still there for a couple of seconds, after that he started walking. His mind was still occupied with the thoughts of Daichi and his behaviour.
"He usually is quite cold and cut-off." he thought referring to Daichi, "But today he was being friendly-cold. Hm, was it because he feels lonely? I have never seen him with anyone of his age; well most of his age people are not alive, so considering that he might feel lonely. I don't think he has anything scheduled up or have anything to do, yet he referred to stay inside, when he could have gone outside and take a stroll or something. Maybe he is just a loner."
Just then something whizzed pass him in the same direction as him and he activated his sharingan, and he caught sight of what it was. It looked like the tiger Sayura had summoned. "Perhaps it is hers as well" he thought. His eyes turning back to normal. He continued on his way, still thinking about Daichi.
"Well but I remember hearing people say that he was never a socialising person, he did not have much friends, not even when he was younger, nor does he have a wife or children, which is said to be the reason for the strict rules and regulations that the unit members have to follow as they are more suited for people who did not have any responsibility of a family. Yet there are members who had had and have families-Sir Kosuke was an example of this."
"Lord Madara!" Shouted Kosuke, as he saw the leader from behind. Madara stopped and looked back and saw him coming towards him.
"Think of the devil and the devil's here." He commented. Soon enough Kosuke reached him, a little out of breath.
"Did you say something, Lord Madara?" he asked in response to Madara's comment he couldn't hear.
"Yes, I said I was just going to your place."
"Oh well, we can go together now."
"Well then. Did you have some work with me that you called?"
"Ah, yes." Kosuke whispered. He gestured Madara to continue walking. They both were now pacing together and he continued his whispering, "Today one of the unit members came to the house, in the morning. He asked Sayura to summon one of her tigers as they had to send a message back to the unit."
Suddenly Madara got reminded of what he had seen earlier.
"I saw a similar summon-" Kosuke gestured to lower his voice, "I saw a similar summoning a few minutes ago going in our direction."
"That is strange. How did it return so fast? Even though it was sent early in the morning, it could not have returned this soon. He went towards the home didn't he?"
"Yes." Madara replied.
"Then we shall go and find out. What happened, Lord Madara?" He asked, inquiring about the reason for the lines of worries on his young face.
"Today when I went to Sir Daichi, he questioned me about the battles we are having, and I find it strange that he did not remember about the one with Chinoikes."
Madara was aware that all the requests sent by the clan leader to the unit, asking to collect certain information about a specific thing along with the reason, are brought in the notice of the head. After that he assigns the job of collection of data to the unit members. As soon as the collection is done, the information is sent back to the leader. Every request passes through the head. Thus, the request for collection of information relating to the Chinoike clan, sent by Madara himself, must have reached Daichi as he had provided the information on time.
"He might have forgotten about it." said Kosuke after a little pondering, "He's an old crooked man after all."
Madara did not respond to this verbally; he just nodded his head slightly. Still lost in his thoughts, Madara walked along Kosuke until they reached the house. Emiko was in the house garden feeding the fishes; Kagami was sleeping in the room adjacent to it. The house was quite and homely. It smelled like rosewood, due to the essence Emiko had lit earlier.
Both the men came in the living room and Madara sat down while Kosuke went to Emiko to inquire about the tiger they were expecting to have come there. Upon being asked Emiko told that she it had come and entered the house through the door that opened in the garden and then it hurriedly went further inside. She also told that it was currently in its summoner's room and had decided to go only after having talked with her.
After hearing this Kosuke went back to Madara and narrated everything. Then they went to Sayura's room to question the summoning (named Kenta).
Kosuke and Kenta knew each other as it had been summoned quite a lot of times as it was reliable for data and information transportation.
Kenta was one of the oldest tiger summons. His fur was faded and dusty; he had few marks of fights he had won that he bore as tags of being the alpha. He also wore a cloth strip in his right forearm that had the Uchiha crest on it, signifying his and the loyalty of all other tigers towards the clan. He was an enormous wild beast that had been occupying a large space the room when Kosuke and Madara entered. He had curled himself in a circle and was resting like a small kitten.
"Kenta," Kosuke said, and it opened its one eye to see him, but did not move his head or anything. "I need to have a word with you."
"Master Kosuke," it rose its head and opened the other eye too. "Thee question why I have arrivedth at thy lodging so soon, don't thou? And also wherefore have I not left if it is true that the task I was given has been fulfilled."
Kenta was indeed as old as he seemed. His fur was faded and dusty and his language was ancient. Although Madara did understand what he said but he was unable to comprehend perfectly what he meant and wondered how was Sayura able to understand him when she speaks a slangish dialect.
On the other hand Kosuke understood it perfectly. Seeing this Madara thought he better remain quite.
"So will now that you know the questions, give us the answers we want." said Kosuke.
"I must tell thee this beforehand that what thy doth seek will not provide thee with any pleasure whatsoever." it said in his heavy voice. "Nonetheless I shalt speakth what thy askth for. We all did hast in our minds that the task must be to transport some information to far away land but the reality was quite different."
By now Madara had stopped trying to comprehend. He was indeed good in language but he was not ancient. His face showed horror and confusion at the same time. He thought it to be better to just wait for him to finish and then he will just ask Kosuke to repeat it for him.
"Who is this gentleman with thou if I may ask? He seem'th not to understand'th anything."
"He is the leader of the clan, Lord Madara."
"Oh, greetings. Thou- I mean, you do not understand what I tell you, do you? My apologies. I shall be more understandble from now on." it continued in its dark tone. "As I was saying the scroll was meant to be transported to a hill nearby, where some 5-6 people from the same clan as this stood decked up with weaponry and armours. I sensed something odd and decided to return, although I was given the command to go after the completion. They followed me but fortunately enough I made it here. I thought I would let you or lady Sayura knows about this."
"You thought right, Kenta. You may leave now; I shall take care from here."
Kenta bowed his head and went back to his realm.
Kosuke turned towards Madara and saw the stupefaction on his face. He knew from what it was coming from.
"It's language, right?" he asked, and Madara nodded his head lightly. "I know, almost everyone is unable to understand him."
"Then how does Sayura do so, considering her language?"
"She does not. She simply asks it to speak simpler. It knows many dialects. Anyway let us get on with matters at hand."
Kosuke moved out of the room while Madara still stood at the sill of the door for a brief moment after which he too went outside.
Meanwhile all was happening at home, in the class Tamiko and Sayura were happily sipping their afternoon tea and still chattering with each other. Wearing colourful kimonos they were talking about how their lives were in the past few years. They were hoping perhaps they could make up for all these years they were not together. It actually started when the instructor announced that any classes won't be dismiss.
"Were they supposed to?" Sayura questioned, while they were still sitting on their tables in the morning when the class had just begun, their hands holding a bright cloth.
"Yes, usually whenever there is some battle, such classes are dismissed as the ladies have to prepare for the chances of an attack being made on the settlements." Tamiko explained. "But the scheduled battle is expected to be an easy one. Therefore, only a few people are assigned duties."
"So have you been assigned one?"
"Yes, the northern front is my area."
Sayura hummed for a moment and then asked, "So how does this whole system works?" Although she was aware of its basics but thought it better to ask for two reasons: she would get to know more and, as said before, she could catch up on Tamiko's life perhaps.
"Well, you see the women, you must be aware, are given the same training as men; but are not sent to battles they have to stay here and protect the settlements of clan. So, "Tamiko paused as a hard fold occurred in the cloth, after dealing with it she continued, "So, the women are assigned duties according to their age and skills. The clan area is divided in five fronts: north, central, south-eastern, west and outer. Different areas are assigned to different ladies. That's pretty much how it is."
"I see. It's similar to the system at the unit."
"Really?"
"Yea—yes." Sayura said remembering what Kosuke had said to her. She was trying her best to maintain a sober dialect but old habits are hard to change. Every now and then she used to utter a word that was not spoken there, the way she used to speak it. "Different tasks are given to different members. It actually is about specialisation.
Both of them stopped interacting for sometime as they got tangled in their work. Tamiko was done making the petals of the flower and now Sayura put some resin in the centre of a circular hard paper-base and starting placing the petals one by one. As they had observed yesterday that the latter was definitely not good in homely things, so she was given the work of assembling.
Sayura, who was completely immersed in her work heard Tamiko saying, "Sayura; you are really committed to the unit, aren't you?" Sayura looked at her and saw the smirk on her face and understood. "Applying specialisation method here too, eh?" Tamiko said and giggled.
Sayura drew a deep sigh and said quite monotonously, "Yes, that's true. After all my specialisation is combat, that's what I have been doing for years, unlike you." And she gave a mocking look to Tamiko.
"What do you mean?" She revolted.
"Just what I said."
"You think I cannot fight?"
"I didn't say that." Sayura grinned.
"Fine then, let's have a fight." Tamiko said firmly.
"Oh no, it wouldn't look nice if a clan's person lost to an intel unit member." She said and burst into laughter, then she stopped and continued, "But if that's what you want, alright."
"Okay, the day the company going for the battle returns, we will have a duel."
"As you like it." Sayura chimed.
Their talks afterwards were mostly mockery or nostalgia. But they did spend a quality time together, it was further decided that whosoever will win, will have to pay for the meal at the local diner.
In the night they parted their ways and went their homes. The sky was clear, the moon had just risen, and it was going to be dark soon. Sayura was thinking of not going to the class for the time Tamiko wasn't going to be there too. It was no harm after all, firstly she was here for only a few days; secondly even Emiko wasn't coming. So she decided- she was not going to go.
The next morning before leaving Madara was giving instructions to the caretaker he had appointed for Izuna for he couldn't leave, more like he wasn't allowed by Madara. He had said to him last time, "These are the orders of the Uchiha leader not your brother." But that was not quite true. Izuna did not say anything, but his anger was evident.
Sayura and Emiko bid Kosuke. They hoped that he returns home safely. For the rest of the days, Sayura practiced her skills rather than going to classes, she didn't want to lose the duel.
The days passed away soon, Izuna's condition got better and now he was able to talk perfectly, Sayura was excited about her duel; and Madara had conquered the battle. The news was known to all in the clan, everyone was happy, even though there had been a few casualties (weaklings as some called them). The men and children were expected to come by the dusk, but got a little late and returned by night. That night, the tired warriors slept soundly.
The battle wasn't much talked about as everyone has expected the Uchiha to win. The unit head still came to congratulate the leader, on his victory, as a formality. Kosuke also happened to be there at the time.
"Congratulations on this expected victory." Daichi said.
"Well your arrival was unexpected; I think it makes up for it."
"I would suggest you to beware, everything in this universe has to be balanced; the evil by the good; the hate by the love; the sorrow by joy, and in your case, the expected by the unexpected. It is indeed true that my visit did less the amount but a quite still remains to be balanced, Lord Madara and Sir Kosuke
After saying so, he went leaving both, the chief and leader, a little confused.
"I tell you, his age is getting the better of him/his age is showing off." said Kosuke."He was a crooked old hag, now he is becoming a cracked one too."
Both of them soon went back to their work without paying much attention to what the head had said. Madara started discussing their strategy one last time before conveying it to the rest of the clansmen, who were to fight that day.
In the meanwhile, Sayura and Tamiko were heading off to small open grassland situated on the outskirts of the clan area. It wasn't much far but far enough that the other people will not be aware of the sounds that might occur during the fight. It took them nearly fifteen minutes to reach there. They were not speaking to each other much. They had discussed about the place the day before, so there was only one thing in their minds that they spoke through their eyes-"do you think you are going to win?'
They both were dressed in their war wear. While Sayura was wearing her typical Uchiha outfit with a slit on one side, Tamiko wore one whose lower part resembled a skirt reaching up to her ankles. Their hairs were tied up in buns and pleats respectively.
It was a little cloudy that day. The grassland, when they reached, was not bigger than the clan area. It was surrounded by woods from one side. It was quite out there.
Both of the girls were ready with their weapons and themselves and took their stances. There was some kind of intensity in the air due to the gaze they were giving each other.
The eyes went red and narrower. Their hands reached for the swords and then in a flash they both went off. Their swords clanged once, twice, thrice. . . Even the bright day were not visible, just the continuous clanging was all that marked their present-they were travelling like light. They were coming at each other simultaneously. And then they stopped briefly for a moment standing with their swords against each other in a cross.
"It's time to heat things up, don't you think so?" Sayura said and leaped back. In mid air she weaved the signs of horse, tiger, serpent, ram, monkey, boar, horse and then tiger and then drawing her one hand closer to her mouth she said, "Fire style: great fireball jutsu." Then an enormous ball of fire went towards Tamiko, who could not dodge it and got struck. The ball pushed her and she was thrown against a tree branch, badly burned. Sayura was a bit worried.
But then all of a sudden, Sayura felt a presence behind her back and before she could glance, she was kicked forward by Tamiko but she was able to not collide with the land. Her feet gritted against the ground, she placed her fingers on the it, in order to stop. She stood on her feet in a knelt position. She quickly looked back at the tree where she had seen Tamiko crash and found that her ball had passed through and a small burn was there at the bottom of the tree.
"Fire substitution, damn I should've known." Sayura said to herself.
"You get distracted easily, now don't you?" Tamiko said coming for Sayura with her sword. Sayura, not having enough time to pull her sword, took out a kunai and blocked her attack. Both their hands were trembling in order to overpower each other. Sayura was at a disadvantage and could feel Tamiko overpowering her. She took her other hand and placed it at the wrist of the one holding the kunai to support it, and then with all the power she could summon she pushed Tamiko. Although it wasn't much effective, it still was enough for her to take a stance.
Sayura stared Tamiko in her eyes, standing at least 30 feet apart from each other. But then, Sayura noticed Tamiko glancing somewhere behind her, possibly at the bushes and trees behind her. Sayura noticed the confused and questioning expression at her face, she thought there might indeed be something, but when the thought of trap came into her mind she went at her fastest speed to attack her. This time she opted for taijutsu.
She advanced towards Tamiko bombarding her with kicks and fists. Tamiko's gaze broke and she started defending herself. They were so fast that a naked eye would have never been able to see even a single move. All this had happened within barely 25 minutes.
"Sayura! Look!" she exclaimed as she looked back at the bushes for a second without stopping to fight.
"You think . . . I'm naive enough . . . to believe you?"
"No really stop!" she said as she moved away. "Look." she pointed towards the bushes.
Sayura, though still a suspicious, looked over to her back and found a little child panting and terrified at their sight. They both were looking at him; it appeared they had seen something horrific.
Both the friends exchanged glances and started moving towards him. He appeared to be an Uchiha as well. He started to come towards them too.
"They-they killed all!" He cried.
Both the ladies' eyes widened. There was bewilderedness on their faces. They noticed there was some blood on the child's clothes, there was a patch of dust too as if he had fallen and one of his slippers were off as well.
"Calm down and tell us what happened, clearly." Sayura spoke.
"They-they killed everyone!" and he sob uncontrollably. "They killed all of them."
"Who killed who?" Tamiko asked whipping his tears.
"They killed my friends!"
"I don't think he knows who they were." Sayura whispered to Tamiko. "What did they look like? Do you know who they were?"
"The-they had were from some other clan. They had red eyes but a little different-"
"That's enough, dear. Don't worry everything will be fine. Don't cry." Sayura held his face in her palms and said. She then whispered to Tamiko has she hugged him, "I think it is the Chinoike clan."
"But what are they doing here and now?"
"Hell do I know! You go and inform everyone in the clan, I'll try to lure them for some time and take him with you."
She then handed over the child to Tamiko after asking him where he met them. Sayura and Tamiko went different ways from there.
Madara was just getting out of this home entrance after explaining the strategy to everyone. They all were standing outside. Just then he saw Tamiko come with the child still in his hands.
"Lord Madara" she began. "The Chinoikes are here."
"What?" Madara was shocked. Everyone was looking at Tamiko with their mouths agape.
"Yes, my lord. This child," she stopped briefly and then handed over him to one of the men standing before going near Madara. "This child and his friends encountered them, apparently they killed them all. I and Sayura saw him like this."
She spoke softly.
"How many are they in number?" Madara asked.
"God knows, lord. Sayura went to delay them so that I could inform you."
Madara turned to Kosuke standing beside him and spoke, "Yet another unexpected arrival." Then he turned back to Tamiko and said, "Very well then. Tell everyone it's time to protect our land."
"Yes my lord!"
And she went away. Madara then spoke to all his men, "We will have to prepone our plan. The Chinoikes are here. Go and defend our land!"
"Yes lord!" they said in chorus.
"And sir Kosuke, take care of the child."
Kosuke nodded his head once and Madara went inside to prepare himself.
